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Ozzieman · November 12, 2012, 06:53 PM

I also live in Indiana and only large bore pistol rifles are allowed so they have become very popular.
The problem with a 45 long colt is that if you use factory loads the energy is not high enough. You must be able to load yourself to get the full benefit of the large bullet. Since most factory loads are made to shoot safely in all 45 colt guns, they are underpowered.
I have taken wild boar with 45 Long colt but they were hand loads with the attached bullet photo loaded to Ruger only loads shot out of a Blackhawk. At 30 yards it looked like he was hit with a train. 30 to 40 yards would be the max for that gun and caliber.
If you want to stay with pistol caliber then you need to go with something that you can get already loaded to magnum power levels.
My suggestion is to go with the 44 magnum. The Ruger 77/44 is a great platform for hunting since it’s stainless and has a plastic stock and a great set of scope rings. It’s heavy enough that recoil is manageable and light enough to carry. My wife likes it because it's shorter than my Marlin lever action so she can handle it faster. She prefers it to all other rifles I own.
http://www.ruger.com/products/rotary...44/models.html
Mine will hold 3 inches at 100 yards which is what I consider max range for this caliber.
If you want to spend less money than you can get a Rossi. I have one of their lever actions and for the price they make a nice rifle. But putting a scope on one can get a little pricy.
http://www.rossiusa.com/product-deta...adcrumbseries=
The following is from the Indiana DNR so if you want to use handgun rounds you should look into the requirements of your state.

Rifles with cartridges that fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches are legal to use only during the deer firearms and special antlerless seasons. Some cartridges legal for deer hunting include the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, .500 S&W, .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf.

Handguns, other than muzzleloading, must have a barrel at least 4 inches long and must fire a bullet of .243-inch diameter or larger. The handgun cartridge case, without the bullet, must be at least 1.16 inches long. Full metal-jacketed bullets are not permitted.

November 12, 2012, 06:53 PM	#8
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	I also live in Indiana and only large bore pistol rifles are allowed so they have become very popular. The problem with a 45 long colt is that if you use factory loads the energy is not high enough. You must be able to load yourself to get the full benefit of the large bullet. Since most factory loads are made to shoot safely in all 45 colt guns, they are underpowered. I have taken wild boar with 45 Long colt but they were hand loads with the attached bullet photo loaded to Ruger only loads shot out of a Blackhawk. At 30 yards it looked like he was hit with a train. 30 to 40 yards would be the max for that gun and caliber. If you want to stay with pistol caliber then you need to go with something that you can get already loaded to magnum power levels. My suggestion is to go with the 44 magnum. The Ruger 77/44 is a great platform for hunting since it’s stainless and has a plastic stock and a great set of scope rings. It’s heavy enough that recoil is manageable and light enough to carry. My wife likes it because it's shorter than my Marlin lever action so she can handle it faster. She prefers it to all other rifles I own. http://www.ruger.com/products/rotary...44/models.html Mine will hold 3 inches at 100 yards which is what I consider max range for this caliber. If you want to spend less money than you can get a Rossi. I have one of their lever actions and for the price they make a nice rifle. But putting a scope on one can get a little pricy. http://www.rossiusa.com/product-deta...adcrumbseries= The following is from the Indiana DNR so if you want to use handgun rounds you should look into the requirements of your state. Rifles with cartridges that fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger; have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches; and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches are legal to use only during the deer firearms and special antlerless seasons. Some cartridges legal for deer hunting include the .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, .500 S&W, .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf. Handguns, other than muzzleloading, must have a barrel at least 4 inches long and must fire a bullet of .243-inch diameter or larger. The handgun cartridge case, without the bullet, must be at least 1.16 inches long. Full metal-jacketed bullets are not permitted. __________________ It was a sad day when I discovered my universal remote control did not in fact control the universe. Did you hear about the latest study.....5 out of 6 liberals say that Russian Roulette is safe. Last edited by Ozzieman; October 1, 2016 at 05:20 PM.